1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a lock releasing structure of a seat back to be folded forward that is applied to an automobile and the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
Some rear seats are constituted so that their seat backs is folded forward in order for a loading space behind the rear seat to communicate with a compartment space and in order to take luggage in and out of the loading space without getting off an automobile, or in order to enlarge the loading space. Such a seat back of the rear seat is supported by a locking mechanism to be fixed in a car body and be engaged with/removed from the locking mechanism. Moreover, an escutcheon having an opening is mounted on a top portion of the seat back, and an operation knob made of hard synthetic resin as operating means which is connected with the locking mechanism is projected through the opening of the escutcheon into the compartment space. By pulling up the operation knob, the lock mechanism is released so that the seat back can fold forward (as for similar technique to the operation knob, see Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 6-33730). When the operation knob interferes with the seat back of a front seat or the like, rubbing occurs between the operation knob and the seat back because the operation knob is hard. The operation knob might damage durability of a surface material of the seat back.